Dec 27, 2013

Ponn Vandu







The sighting of this beauty in our garden brought back my school day memories. The Golden Beetle or "Ponn Vandu" in Tamil, is a beautifully attractive insect. As school kids, we used to flock to the "kodukapuli" (Pithecellobium dulce ) tree to catch one of these golden bugs. We used to keep the catch in a Horlicks bottle with a perforated cap or in cardboard boxes with some broken branches and leaves from the 'kodukapuli' tree. Sometimes it was carried to the school in a Match box to showoff to friends.The head resembled a warrior's armor and it can hurt your finger with a snap of its neck. Truly a regal insect !

14 comments:

  1. Indeed a spectacular beauty.

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  2. Beautiful insect, really! So many colours!

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  3. beautiful clicks!!

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  4. It does look very regal. The pictures are amazing.

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  5. Impressionnant !

    Bonne année 2014 :)

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  6. Wow! That is a great find!
    I would have been scared though.

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  7. Anonymous8:52 PM

    Amazing and big bug!

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  8. First reaction!!! Yuk!!! However this insect is really beautiful in a strange sort of way!! LOL

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  9. What a terrific find and the insect's colors are amazing ~

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  10. It appears your daughter is giving this bug a harsh lecture.

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  11. Wow..! Recollect my childhood days when we use to rave about this regal ( apt phrase Ashok) creature..

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  12. What a beautiful insect... and very fine captures. Just as I was wondering how big it was, that last image.. which is wonderful.. popped into view.

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  13. wow! great capture on it… been long time seen a pon vandu

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